Bruno Fernandes on Thursday scored a stoppage-time winner as Manchester United beat Glasgow Rangers 2-1 to take a big step toward the UEFA Europa League round-of-16.
Rangers looked to have snatched a draw at Old Trafford when Cyriel Dessers leveled the game 1-1 in the 88th minute.
However, United captain Fernandes struck from close range four minutes later to secure a vital win that moved Ruben Amorim’s team up to fourth in the standings with one round of games to go in the league phase.
Photo: EPA-EFE
First-placed SS Lazio won 3-1 against Real Sociedad, while Eintracht Frankfurt were second after a 2-0 victory over Ferencvaros.
United’s win was a much-needed boost for Amorim, who said after Sunday’s Premier League loss to Brighton & Hove Albion that his team were “the worst, maybe, in the history” of the storied club.
While United’s Premier League campaign still looks dire, with the 20-time English champions 13th in the standings, their Europa League fate is in their own hands going into next week’s game against FCSB in Romania.
Photo: AP
However, victory did not come without some fortune after Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland punched the ball into his own net from a corner to give United the lead seven minutes into the second half.
The top eight teams automatically advance to the last-16, with those placed from nine to 24 going into a playoff round.
Lazio maintained their unbeaten record in the Europa League with victory against 10-man Sociedad and are guaranteed a place in the last-16.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Goals from Mario Gila, Mattia Zaccagni and Valentin Castellanos effectively killed the game off before halftime, with Sociedad’s Aihen Munoz also sent off before the break.
Ander Barrenetxea scored late for Sociedad.
Frankfurt are three points behind after a 2-0 win against Ferencvaros was secured through second-half goals from Can Uzun and Hugo Ekitike.
Athletic Bilbao are third, behind Frankfurt on goal difference.
Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur beat TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 3-2.
The South Korea star struck in each half at PreZero Arena to help ease the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou.
It was only Tottenham’s second win in their past nine games overall and kept them on course for the round-of-16.
Son doubled the lead in the 22nd minute after James Maddison had opened the scoring in the third minute. He got his second to make it 3-1 in the 77th minute. Son was making his 436th appearance for the club — moving up to 10th on Spurs’ list.
In other games, four-time European Cup winners Ajax were stunned by RFS — losing 1-0 to the Latvian team; AS Roma lost 1-0 to Dutch club AZ Alkmaar; Porto lost 1-0 to Olympiakos; Fenerbahce and Olympique Lyonnais drew 0-0; Bodo/Glimt beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-1; Viktoria Plzen downed RSC Anderlecht 2-0; Twente beat Malmo 3-2; Union Saint-Gilloise edged Braga 2-1; IF Elfsborg defeated OGC Nice 1-0; Midtjylland won 2-0 against PFC Ludogorets Razgrad; and PAOK won against Slavia Prague 2-0.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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